Toy cannon.



J. D. KILGORE.

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TOY CANNON.

APPLIGATION FILED APR. 1, 1913.

Patented 0013. 21, 1913.

2 SHBETSASHEET 2.

awuawkva wasp/u fl 1225 0115 Lvi Huzomw JOSEPH D. KILGOBE, 0F HOMESTEAD, PEIINIYLVAIIA;

TOY CANNON.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

Application filed April 1, 1913. Serial No. 758,143.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn D. KILGORE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Homestead, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Toy Cannons, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a repeating toy cannon and has for its object to provide a toy of this kind which can be made strong, of relatively few and simple parts, and at a moderate expense; to provide a barrel and magazine made together of two sheets of pressed metal joined in a vertical plane passing through the axes of both members; to provide a novel spring actuated discharging mechanism for the projectiles, and a novel feeding device automatically actuated by the discharging member for delivering the projectiles one at a time from the magazine to the barrel.

To more clearly set forth the novel features of this invention, attention is directed to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal central section through the toy cannon and its mount, the parts being in position to discharge the projectile. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the cannon with the parts in discharged position. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the pressed plates used in the construction of the barrel and magazine.

In the drawing wherein like reference characters are used to indicate the same parts in all the figures, 10 designates a gun carriage mounted on wheels 11 and provided with a trail 12 and upstanding arms 13 in which the cannon 14 is pivoted. The cannon 14 comprises an outer casing or shell 15, preferably made in the conventional form of a cannon with trunnions 16 mounted in the arms 13 and having a knob 17, called a cascabel, projecting from its rear end in which a screw bar 18 is loosely mounted by means of its enlarged head. The opposite end of the screw bar is threaded in a plate or nut 19 mounted in brackets on the gun trail 12, which bar on being rotated swings the cannon on its trunnions and elevates or depresses its muzzle.

Within the casing 0r shell 15 of the cannon is placed a barrel 20 through the bore of which the projectiles 21 are discharged, said barrel having a rearward extension 22 of equal diameter and in the same axial line, connected thereto by a reduced section 23 which serves as a guide for the e ecting plunger 24. Above the barrel 20 and its extension 22 is a tubular magazine 25 the forward end of which is connected to the rear end of the barrel 20 by a neck 26. The magazine 25 is placed vertically above the rear end of the barrel and 1ts extension 22, and inclines downwardly toward the barrel so that the proectiles-placed therein will gravitate toward the neck 26 and into the rear end of the barrel 20. When the casing or shell 15 of the cannon is in the position shown in Fig. 1, that is with its longitudinal axis horizontal, the barrel 20 is preferably at a slight upward Inclination so that when pro ectiles are discharged therefrom they will travel a greater distance than if fired in a horlzontal direction. At the rear end of the magazine is an opening 27. below an opening 28 in the casing or shell 15, through which the projectiles 21 are fed into the magazine, these projectiles preferably being hollow rubber balls.

Slidable longitudinally within the extension 22, in rear of the barrel 20, is the ejector plunger 24, the body of which slides freely in said extension and has a forwardly projecting stem 29 guided in the reduced passage 23 between the barrel and the extension 22, and a rearwardly projecting stem 30 passing through a hole formed in the headed rear end of the extension 22. Surrounding the stem 30 is a coil spring 31, pressing. against the headed nd of the extension and the rear end of the plunger 24, said spring tending to forcibly move the plunger in a forward direction. On the underside of the body of the plunger 24 is a pin 32 which extends through a slot in the bottom of the extension 22 and into a slot in the shell or casing 15. This pin has a beveled lip 33 with which engages a hook 34 on the forward end of a retracting rod 35 pivoted to a hand lever 36 fulcrumed at 37 in the gun trail 12.

Normally the ejecting plunger is in the position indicated in Fig. 2 but when it is desired to discharge a projectile the hook 34 of the ejector rod is lifted into engagement with the beveled end of the pin 32 and the hand lever 36 then drawn back. This, of course, retracts the plunger 34 which moves to the rear until the pin 32 has nearly contained therein falls through the neck 26 reached the limit of the slot through which it passes. This brings' the retracting rod 85, just in rear of the hook 34, into engagement with a stud -88 on the underside of the shell 15, that forces the hook from the pin and releases the -pl iwliich, under the influence of the spring 31, is; immediately carried forward and striking a projectile in the rear end of the barrel drives it out-with considerable force. F The projectiles 21 which are fed by gl i'avity to the barrel would, if not contro ed, crowd into the barrel and interfere with the proper o eration of the toy. To a guard against 1sjtroublea feeding device 40 is mounted in the '-'neck 26, connecting the magazine to the barrel, and operated by the retraction of the plunger 24 to feed f 130-, jectiles one at a time to the barrel. This feeding device comprises a on shaped holder 41 pivoted at 42 in the neck 26,'to one of which pivots is fastened an arm 43. A spring 44 attached to said arm tends to move the ejector in a forward direction while a cord, chain, wire or other connection 45 extends from said arm 43 rearwardly to a pin 46, carried by the plunger 24, and slidable in a slot 47 through the top of the extension 22. When the plunger is in the discharge position, shown in Fig. 2, the feeding cup 41 isturned to the right sufliciently far to permit the lowermost rojectile in the magazine rolling into said cup. Then when the plunger is retracted the connection 45, between said plunger and the feeding device, rocks the cup to the position shown in Fig. 1 whereupon the projectile into the rear of the barrel 20. The range of movement of the plunger 24 is greater than the distance moved by the arm 43 to which the connection 45 is attached. This connection therefore is made flexible so that after the cannon has been dischar ed and the spring 44 has turned the cup t e limit of its movement to the right, said connection 45 will yield and permit the plunger to move the remain' distance without resistance or interference rom said connection.

Attached to the underside of the reduced connection 23, between the barrel and its extension 22, is a light sprin 50 the forward end 51 of which ro ects upward through an opening 52 in t e ttom of the barrel and serves to prevent the projectiles rolling out of the muzzle should the latter be depressed. The spring, however, will readily yield when the projectile is discharged and permit the latter to pass.

The barrel 20, its extension 22 and the magazine 25 are formed together of two sheets of metal, cut or stamped from a flat plate, the two sheets or blanks bein alike. These blanks are placed in a suitab e press and the portions designed for the barrel 20,

members are assembled" by placin aqva aa its extension 22, connecting section 28 magazme- 25:- and neck 26 given a semi-cylindrical shape of proper size. The forward end of the magazine is connected rigidly to the barrel by the neck26 and to the connectin section 23 by a fin 53. Two of these-stamlp t eir edges, which lie in planes wpassing rough the axes of the barrel and nagazine, together and connecting them by a screw, -rivet or other fastening 54 passm throughthe fin 53 and a screw 55 throng lugs 5501i thia under side of the connecting section23; I 5

What is claimed I a 1. In a toy cannon, h'e combination bf a barrel, a projectile ma zine land a' neck connecting the barrel 'an ma 'azine thro h yvhich projectilespa'ss to the arr'el, a f

ing device in said neck for receivingprojectiles one at a tinie and delivering to the barrel, resilient means for normally" holding said feeding device position: to receivea projectile, a' spring actuated plunger in the barrelfor ejecting the projectiles, means for retracting the plunger, means for tripping the retracting means and disengaging the plunger, and a loose connection between the plunger and I the feeding device for positively actuating the latter through the movement of the former. H

2. In a toy cannon, the'combi'n'ation of a barrel,'a projectile magazine, and a neck connectin the barrel and magazine through whichpro ectiles pass to the barrel, made of two sheets of metal pressed into shape and joined together in a verticalplane, a feed cup ivoted in said neck for admitting projecti es one at a timeto the barrel, a spring actuated plunger in the barrel for ejecting the projectiles, means for retracting the plunger,means for tripping the retracting means and disengaging the plunger, and a lost motion connection between the plunger and the feeding device for automatically actuating the latter through the movement of the former.

3. In a toy cannon, the combination of a barrel, an extension in the rear of said barrel of like diameter, and a connect section between the barrel and its extension of less diameter to form a guide-wa a projectile magazine above the extension in the same vertical lane therewith and with the barrel and in ined thereto, a neck connecting the forward lower end of the magazine to the rear of the barrel, a rocking feed cup in said neck for conveying projectiles one at a time from the magazine to the barrel, a plunger slidable in said barrel and extension provided with a forward stem to enter the arrel guided in said connection section, and

trip for the retracting means, and a connection between the lunger and the feed cup for actuating the latter.

4. In a toy cannon the combination of a barrel, an extension on the rear of said barrel of like diameter, and a connecting section between the barrel and its extension of less diameter to form a guide-Way, a projectile magazine above the extension in the same vertical plane therewith and with the barrel and inclined thereto, a neck connecting the forward lower end of the magazine with the rear of the barrel, all of said parts being formed from two sheets of metal pressed into similar halves and connected together in their central vertical plane.

5. In a toy cannon the comblnation of an outer casing or shell having an opening through the side at its rear end to insert projectiles, an inner-casing contained wholly within said shell and separate therefrom comprising a barrel, an inclined projectile magazine, and a neck connecting the forward end of the magazine to the rear end of the barrel, said inner casing being made of two like parts connected together 1n a plane passing through the axes of the barrel, magazine and the neck, a feeding device in said neck for delivering projectiles one at a time to said barrel, and an ejecting device for driving said projectiles from the barrel.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH D. KILGORE. Witnesses:

E. H. FISHER, JULIUS E. BANO. 

